Amethyst "Crocodile Tears" by Dugan, Ca. 1907, S1-257

  "Crocodile Tears" Miniature Oil Lamp, S1-257

About 8 3/4" tall to top of shade

Base about 4 1/2"  wide at widest point

Shade about 4 1/2" wide at widest point

Referred to by the trade press as a "nobby little affair"

Background & History:  This is a rich amethyst colored version of an early 20th Century miniature oil lamp known by collectors as "Crocodile Tears".  There are, in fact, two variations of this "Crocodile Tears" night lamp shown in Frank & Ruth Smith's book "Miniature Lamps".  Both lamps share the same base--a complex embossed design consisting of 4 panels of large overlapping "tear-drops" (hence the name) separated by angled corners with embossed feathers, or fans, a row of beads at the edge of the shoulder and a circle of radiating ribs emanating from the neck.  The variation of the lamp offered here is shown in Figure 257 of the Smith book "Miniature Lamps".  It has a combined chimney/shade which is embossed with the same feather or fan pattern that is on the angled sides of the base and with a horizontal row of beads at the bottom of the tall extension which tops the chimney/shade.   The other variation of this lamp (shown in Figure 255 of the Smith "Miniature Lamps" book) has, instead of this combined chimney/shade, an embossed umbrella style shade.  The Smith's note that in both variations of this lamp, the gilding and other painted decor originally on these lamps was not fired-on (i.e., they were "cold painted") and are often found quite worn or totally gone.  This example of the lamp has none of the original gilding left.

McDonald ("Evolution of the Night Lamp") mentions the Crocodile Tears lamp only in passing in her book. She covers it more fully, however, in a 1985 article in Antique Trader magazine.  In that article she definitively attributes this lamp to the Dugan Glass Company of Indiana, Pennsylvania (based on an old company catalog).  Dugan was the successor to the Northwood Company and was apparently run by Harry Northwood's uncle (Northwood was a well-known glass maker and apparently the originator of iridescent "Carnival" glass).  McDonald notes that Dugan had 8 night lights on the market in 1907 (  the "Crocodile Tears" was one of those) and that the Crockery & Glass Journal referred to all these lamps as  "nobby little affairs ". 

The lamp is reported to have been found made of white milk glass, custard glass, blue milk glass and colored glass (Hulsebus, "Price Guide for Miniature Lamps").  While Hulsebus does not spell out what colors of "colored glass" are found on this lamp, the Smiths identify both blue and green.  We've actually seen the lamp in clear glass, milk glass, custard, cobalt blue, teal blue,  green and amethyst (like this example).  The amethyst color on this lamp is a lovely deep, rich purple.

Condition of this lamp:  This lovely lamp is in very good condition.  There a number of very small chips on  outer top edge of the shade and the typical flea-bites on the fitter edge. There are no other apparent chips, cracks, signs of damage or defects on this lamp and its chimney/shade.

The hardware on this lamp consists of a securely attached undated "Taplin-Brown" brass collar with no splits or cracks, and a Hornet-style burner marked "RUBY" on the thumb wheel.  The burner thumb wheel easily adjusts the wick that is in this lamp.

Measurements are provided beneath the first photo to the left.

This is a fine example of what appears to have been a popular oil burning night lamp from about 115 years ago.  This is a sturdy little lamp which may help explain why it has survived for so long. 

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